Love Isn't Always on Time
by anatomyaddict
Summary: Story set early season ONE. MerDer. Timing was never Meredith and Derek's thing... can they get past it? Please Read and Review! COMPLETED WITH CHAPTERS 9 & 10!
1. Part 1

**so hi, I'm anatomycd, the author of the Crash Into Me. Yes, I'm still working on that story, but this is a fluffy MerDer story I wrote a few months ago, and it makes me feel all warm and good inside, so I thought it was time to post it. I have written the entire thing, but I'm going to put it up little by little. I'm going out of town for a few days, so I'll put the first two or three chapters up before I go. **

**This is an AU story that would have taken place around Seson ONE ep. 4, this is before MerDer had the "car incident with Bailey" That never happened in this story. Anyway, this is really old compaired to where Meredith and Derek are now, but I love it, so please READ & REVIEW and I'll LOVE YOU!**

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Love Isn't Always on Time

Part 1

Meredith awoke with a start. Her eyes popped open from the sound of her old doorbell. Damn, she needed to get it fixed, or maybe have it turned off. The sound of that doorbell reminded her of being five years old and screeching every time it sounded. But, nevertheless, it had woken her up; she looked across the bed at her alarm clock: 4:16 AM. Great. She was awake, when she could have been sleeping for the next 45 minuets. Her shift started at 6:00 today, rather late, compared to yesterday's 4:45 call time. This morning Mr. Tribble had a craniotomy scheduled for 7:30, enough time to get in her rounds before going over pre-op notes with the patient and Derek… Dr. Shepherd, as he was formally referred to, but then again she didn't know many people who had sex with a man and then went back to calling him by his last name. She sat in bed and thought about him; he had been good, Cristina hit the nail on the head. Squishing her pillow next to her chest, she dreamed it was Derek she was holding on to. But no, it couldn't happen, not again, she was an intern, he was an attending, and besides, why should he want her anyway…

Finally, her mind thought back to the reason she was awake so early… the doorbell. She could hear Izzie and George fumbling around downstairs. As much of a pain as they could be, she did enjoy their company. She grabbed her bathrobe off the side of the bed and hobbled downstairs, eyes still half closed, where she saw Izzie and George dressed and ready for work. Meredith remembered that their shift started at 5:00 AM; they looked rather perky for this early. Meredith assumed they had answered the door, but she asked anyway. "Hey Izzie, did you hear the doorbell this morning?"

"Oh is that what that thing was? I thought that the oven was on and so I rushed down to check, but it was off. I decided to make pancakes since I was already awake. Want some?" Izzie said through a mouthful of food.

"You know, I think I saw a delivery truck drive by this morning, but I forgot to look out on the front steps." George added.

"Thanks Izzie, but I'm not really hungry yet. I'll go check the front door thought." Meredith made her way into the front hall from the kitchen and opened the door. She looked down on the biggest arrangement of daisies and lavender she had ever seen. God, did she love the smell of lavender. She picked them up to look at the card, sadly assuming that they were for Izzie, and she came across a surprising note:

Meredith,

I can't stop thinking about

you and how ironic this whole

situation is. Meet me for

breakfast at the diner two

blocks over from Joe's.

Please!

-D

Meredith read the note and smiled. Maybe picking up guys in bars wasn't so bad after all. Who says that _everyone_ has impaired vision when drunk, she certainly didn't. She knew she shouldn't go, but she needed to stay on his good side, after all, they were going to be in surgery together all morning. She tried to sneak the flowers back in the house without drawing attention. She got past George, but Izzie saw through the kitchen.

"Meredith, are those for you? They're gorgeous! Who are they from?" Izzie yelled.

"Umm... yea they are for me, but I don't know who they're from," Meredith said, hiding the card in her robe pocket, "I'm going to take these up to my room and umm… I have to leave early this morning." So much for being discrete. Meredith was not good with lying, not to her friends, or her family, and especially not to herself. It was a trait she defiantly needed to work on, if she wanted to make it as a doctor.

Izzie started to yell something back to Meredith, but she was already headed up the stairs, not listening to a word Izzie said. She was oblivious to everything else as she hurried to get ready, even though she had no idea what time Derek would be at the diner; she didn't want to hurry too much and seem desperate, of course. She decided on a nice pair of jeans and sandals with her Dartmouth t-shirt (the one with the hole in the back of the neck.) She wanted to stay casual, as if to say, "Yes, I am excited to be on a date with a hot brain surgeon, but I just threw this look together." Big statement for a ratty shirt. She carefully did her hair and makeup, grabbed her tote and scrubs, and ran out the door with a quick "goodbye" to George and Izzie.


	2. Part 2

**I hope you like chapter one, i promise the chapters do get longer! Anyway, here's chapter two becuase this one has Meredith and Derek both! YAY! Remember to read and review! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Yup...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!**

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Part 2

She found her blue jeep almost unconsciously guiding itself to the restaurant. Her clock read 5:00 AM. She looked at her hair one last time in the mirror before getting out of the car. Derek's black Lexus was there, and she figured it was safe to go in. Once inside the door, she saw Derek sipping coffee. His hair was a mess, but he looked adorable. He spotted her and stood up as she approached the table. "I was getting worried you might not show," Derek said as he pulled her close and gave her a peck on the cheek.

A waitress came up to their table and filled up Derek's cup with coffee and set a mug down for Meredith. "Yes, we were about to start placing bets," the woman joked.

Derek jumped right into the conversation, seemingly interested in every word coming out of Meredith's mouth. He commented on her shirt and asked about her college and Med School experiences…

Meredith and Derek were deep in conversation when they heard the bell at the door sound. An all too familiar voice entered the room. "Oh Shit!" Meredith whispered, "Bailey."

"What?" Derek questioned before figuring out what she was looking at.

Meredith saw ideas flashing through Derek's head as Bailey came closer. She saw Derek's facial expression change, and Meredith knew he had devised a plan.

"Dr. Bailey," Derek motioned, "come sit with us!" Meredith's eyes grew larger as she could not believe the words that had just come out of Derek's mouth. She put the pieces together, however, as he told Bailey how he had seen Meredith having an early breakfast alone and decided to join her. Dr. Bailey sat down with her eyes on both Derek and Meredith the whole time. They completed the meal together with awkward, yet flowing conversation. Finally, Bailey got up from the table to leave. "Meredith, I suppose I will see you at the hospital in 20 minutes, no later. You have rounds. Thank you, Dr. Shepherd," Bailey said as Derek took the bill from her hands. Finally, Bailey walked off as the door shut behind her.

Meredith and Derek proceeded to burst out in a very loud laughing fit, both in shock of how they had pulled that off. After paying for three meals, Derek held the door open for Meredith and walked her to her car. He proceeded to give her a kiss on the cheek, which slowly moved to her lips. She could feel his lips; they were warm and soft. She allowed his tongue to trace the inside of her mouth and continued to drift off for a moment before pulling away. "Derek," she reluctantly whispered, "we can't do this, it's too risky. We wont always be as lucky as we were this morning, you're my boss, and so is Bailey."

"Meredith," he said softly, "I'm ready to try this. I think fate brought us together and I don't want to let go."

"I'm not ready for this," she said, breaking their connected gaze, "Thank you for breakfast Derek, I mean Dr. Shepherd." She hated the fact that she had to pull away. Damn, his sad eyes were enough to make her weak at the knees.

"This is not the end," he stated in a witty tone, "but for now…I'll see you at the hospital, Meredith. 7:30 craniotomy." He kissed her hand and walked off. Meredith got in her car and dropped her head down on the steering wheel. Damn… it was all she could think.


	3. Part 3

**so, by this point I haven't gotten any reviews, but I'm asking: please read and review-- oh and give suggestions, I love helpful hints to improve my writing. Anyway, this will be my last update before I leave out of town, I will update again thursday or friday. Until then, enjoy the story and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this show. It belongs to Shonda, who I wish would make more MerDer scenes like in the finale... that was good stuff! ha!

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Part 3

"Time of death, 8:42 AM," Derek said quietly. Meredith watched as the surgical team dispersed from the room. However, Derek only stood; he was going to close up the man's brain, for his family. Meredith stayed with him, not ready to accept that Mr. Tribble really hadn't made it through the surgery. Meredith created some small talk to ease the tension as they finished closing up the wound. Once back outside the operating room, Derek finally spoke up. "We can't win them all, it was a risky surgery, and thankfully, his family was well prepared for any news like this." Meredith thanked him and told him how amazing the surgery had been despite any complications. He smiled and playfully touched her side before walking off. Meredith headed towards the locker room.

Once there, she looked around. Izzie, George, and Alex were sitting and talking. Well, it was more like Izzie and George talking with Alex eavesdropping. Meredith asked where Cristina was, but then remembered that she had the day off. Meredith needed her best friend at that moment; she wondered how Cristina was staying away from the hospital anyway!

Izzie suddenly interrupted Meredith's thought process. "So Meredith, where did you rush off to after getting such a beautiful arrangement of flowers?"

"Yes, and did you figure out who they were from?" George piped in.

"Umm… No," Meredith said, "I'm still not sure about who they're from, and as for this morning, I had some errands to run before work, nothing special."

"Sounds suspicious, but I'm sure we'll find out in due time," Izzie joked.

Meredith got to her locker and put her head inside. She took a big sigh out. Lying was becoming easier and easier for her, but the one thing she could not lie to herself about was not wanting to be with Derek, because the more time she spent around him, the more perfect for her Derek became.

She heard her beeper and walked down the hall, headed for a consult in the 'pit. On the way, she became delayed as she ran headfirst into Derek. "Ouch!" he joked as he pulled her aside, laughing. "Ok, now I know that you owe me another chance. Seriously, I would really love to take you out for dinner, on an interruptions free date. I know you say you're not ready, but you know as well as I do that we need to give this a try. Please think about it."

Meredith was about to answer, not knowing what words might come out of her mouth, when she heard her beeper go off again. She managed to mumble, "Got to go" before running off down to the emergency area.

The day dragged on with a few surgeries, but no major events. As her shift was winding down, Meredith changed and headed towards the elevator. She had to run by the grocery store to pick up some groceries, to make her story to Izzie and George true. However, as the door was closing, she saw a hand come through the door, causing the sensors to open it back up. She was getting used to this happening, and without even looking, could sense Derek's presence in the elevator. He had changed out of his scrubs into his street clothes, with a laptop under his arm. "Hello" he stated in a blasé tone, while trying to hide the smirk on his face.

Meredith turned around to face him. He looked so good, and she lost all her self-control while keeping herself together. "Alright, let's go." Meredith smiled, and with those three little words, they were on their way out towards his car. He opened her door and then made his way over to the driver's seat.


	4. Part 4

**So, here it is… Part 4. I'm sorry for the wait on the update, but I just got back in town, and it was a very active trip… so I slept most of the day away! Anyway, this was a cute chapter…I like it at least. And thank you for all the reviews, I love happy MerDer fics and I'm glad you guys enjoy it too! Remember to READ and REVIEW! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still own nothing… sorry!**

**--anatomycd**

Part 4

The inside of Derek's car was a new experience. She could tell many of his quirks from the car. The radio was on, but he switched it to a CD. It was The Clash. She smiled. He really was a one-of-a-kind man. Definitely not one to let go of, if you could help it. Meredith had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. He was singing with the band, and not very well at that. She rested her arm on the center armrest. A shock went through her body when he unknowingly placed his arm next to her own. She could feel them connect, from just being next to each other. She saw him smile, but knew he was pretending not to notice how close they were.

They pulled up to the restaurant. He had surprised her with Italian food. She loved Italian, but that meant she'd have to stick with wine tonight, no tequila. Of course, for a first real date with Derek, tequila was probably better left at the bar.

Derek had made reservations, so they got a table almost instantly. There was no sign of another doctor or Seattle Grace worker in the room, so Meredith comfortably added to the conversation. The entire meal and date was very good; Meredith couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a wonderful time on a date, or when her last date was. She wasn't big on dating, more of a jump-into-it kind of girl. As the meal wrapped up, Meredith found herself asking Derek a question that she had not asked him in almost a month- "Would you like to come back to my place?"

Derek agreed and his car took them back to Meredith's house. As they pulled in the driveway, she saw Izzie's car, but not George's. George had a night shift, and Izzie always went to bed early. By this time, Meredith assumed they were safe to sneak up to her room. However, it took them a while to get out of the car, as Derek leaned over to kiss Meredith. She tried to get closer to him; she found the armrest to be quite a pest and asked Derek if he was ready to move this up to her room. He replied with "I'm really glad we're doing this."

The two of them made their way to the door and Meredith fumbled with her keys mindlessly as Derek started to kiss her neck. Ok, so she had a little too much wine at dinner, and apparently, Derek was a little silly himself. She finally connected the key to the door. She whispered "shhhh" as they went into the front hall. They quietly giggled the whole way up to her room, with no sign of Izzie.

Once up in the bedroom, she shuffled around for the buttons on his shirt, as he did the same to her. He kissed her, and her mind went blank. Her arms seemed to naturally find the right place to go. He started to kiss her neck and gently laid her on the bed. As they continued with the fiery kisses, she saw him look up. "Nice flowers," he said and Meredith just laughed.

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Meredith's head hit the pillow. She was breathing heavy, and so was he. They lay together in silence for a few minutes before Derek finally spoke. "Do you believe in soul mates?" Meredith heard Derek whisper before she drifted off to sleep.

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Meredith awoke once again with a sudden jolt, however, this time it was not the doorbell, but the sound of gentle snoring from the man next to her, who was holding her close. He was a hard sleeper, he had to be. She kissed him and he didn't even move. Somehow, she managed to untangle his arms from around her body, and she looked for her cell phone. Her room was a mess; she finally found her phone underneath her pants, which had been thrown under the bed. She picked it up and dialed Cristina's number as she fell into her oversized chair. Cristina answered and laughed when Meredith whispered "There's a boy in my bed!"

"So is it McDreamy?" and when Meredith told her yes, Cristina replied "well, are you going to tell me all about it?"

Meredith looked over at Derek, sleeping soundly in her bed and smiled. This was the start of something new, something good. Even with all the consequences, she felt ready to take the next step and cross that line. Meredith finally answered Cristina. "Of course I'll tell you about it, now where should I begin…"


	5. Part 5

**So, just to clarify, this is my favorite chapter, I don't know why, I just find it really cute, and I can totally picture some of this happening! Sorry for the delay between updates, my poor story "Crash into Me" has been severely neglected, but I promise, things will be back to normal soon! So without further ado, here's part 5. Oh, and PS, PRETTY PLEASE… READ AND REVIEW, I very kindly THANK YOU!**

**Disclaimer: see Part 1**

**-anatomycd**

Part 5

After about five minutes of talking, Meredith finally heard Derek stir. "Oh crap, Cristina, I have to go!" With that, she slammed her phone shut. Derek grunted and rolled back over, presumably still asleep. Meredith crawled back into bed, and lifted Derek's arm so that she could slide back in to place. They seemed to fit together so well. All of a sudden, Derek leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and Meredith jumped. So he was awake. God, she hoped he hadn't heard her on the phone; that would have been extremely embarrassing. 

"So, I really made your heart stop when I kissed you?" Meredith turned bright red. He had heard her on the phone. However, she was strangely relieved that he was accepting of her dorky conversation.

"Yes, well, you can't tell me you didn't feel the same thing." Meredith shot back.

"Ok, you definitely caught me. Now, let's just pick up where we left off." Derek began to roll over, but Meredith stopped him, reminding him of her early rounds, and there was also the dilemma of how she could sneak him out of the house.

"Ahh, I just can't. And please stop talking so loud, major hangover. Did I even drink that much?"

Derek laughed. "Well as far as wine goes, you aren't a cheap date. However, I suppose we should get going to work. Let's go downstairs, do you have anything we can cook for breakfast?"

Meredith, scared that Izzie and George were still downstairs, told Derek just to begin getting ready and she would go start breakfast. This, of course, was a huge lie because fixing cereal and offering people gum were her most complicated cooking skills. When she got downstairs, she saw that Izzie and George were still at the house, but looked as if they were on their way out of the door. Izzie was smiling but George looked unhappy and a little angry. Meredith finally decided to speak up, knowing the silence could not last for much longer. "So, are you two on your way to the hospital?"

George mumbled, "Of course, it's all we have time for, unlike some other interns."

Meredith tried to play it off; she had expected some unhappiness from her roommates. She and Derek were not exactly quiet in bed. Ok, so they were horribly loud. "Umm, sorry if I kept you guys up last night, I umm, didn't umm... You know what, I'm just sorry. Sorry." She was mumbling badly, it must have been the hangover. She figured that would have to be a good enough excuse, as she had no idea what else to say.

Thankfully, Izzie and George then scooted out of the door, not really wanting to be around Meredith. She was relieved, and yelled to Derek to come on downstairs for breakfast. He began to make his way down the stairs and kissed Meredith when he reached the bottom. As Meredith began to lean in to the kiss, she heard the doorbell again. Damn doorbell. It made an absolutely atrocious sound. She reluctantly began to move towards the door when the doorbell ringing turned to violent knocking. She opened the door, surprised to see George standing there. "Meredith, your boyfriend or whoever the hell he is…well his car is blocking Izzie and me in. Can you get the guy to move his car?"

Meredith began to answer, not knowing what might come out of her mouth, when Derek came running up behind her with his keys. "No problem, I'll move it." Derek smiled, obviously having no idea that her roommates did not know about the two of them and not knowing what a problem this could be. George looked at Meredith and then at Derek with a look on his face extreme confusion. He just turned around and followed Derek out. Meredith buried her head in her hands. A relationship with Derek was not proving to work in her favor.

When Derek came back in the house, Meredith was pacing, trying to make some sense out of the entire situation. "Izzie said for me to tell you that you needed to stop feeding the beast and get your ass in to work, and then she added a 'sir' but I think that was for me. Meredith, does she mean what I think she means by 'feeding the beast'?"

Meredith was panicking. This entire situation was bad, first Bailey, now Izzie and George. The whole hospital was going to know about this by the end of the day. Meredith didn't know what to say. "Crap, crap, crap." Where could they go from here?

Derek sighed, "They didn't know about us did they, and I just royally screwed that up. Things are getting complicated."

"Work is going to be hell, Derek. Everyone is going to find out about us and we're never going to get a chance to have a relationship because everyone will know and judge us and I'll be punished for it. I don't want to mess things up and I don't want to get hurt." She was getting hysterical.

Derek came over and put his arm around her. He kissed her on the forehead. "It will work out. I know it will, so don't worry. Now we should probably get to work."

Meredith looked back at him, thankful for his comforting words. "I know, we have to go, but I'm not ready to let go."

They hurried back upstairs and finished getting ready for work. Down in the kitchen, Derek found an apple that looked good enough for breakfast. Meredith heated up an old grilled cheese she found in the refrigerator. Derek laughed at her, and Meredith smiled back. They finally grabbed their bags and headed out the door when Meredith stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh my God, Derek, I left my car at the hospital. We're going to have to ride together. Could this get any worse? People will see us riding together."

Derek grinned, "Well I might just have an idea for getting there separately. We have a half hour before we have to be at the hospital. Get in the car; I want to take you somewhere."


	6. Part 6

**Hey guys! Here is part 6. Before you read though, I want you to remember that this story is very AU, and Addison plays a part, but not the same way she plays on the show. Anyway, after this, there are four more chapters! So, just read and enjoy. Oh, and don't forget to REVIEW! That makes me happier than you could ever believe!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, because if I did, there would be no conflict, and we would simply watch a happy Meredith and Derek for an hour a week!**

**Enjoy**

**--anatomycd**

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Part 6

"Derek, what are you going to do? I have to be at the hospital soon, and we don't have time to waste. How could we possibly get to the hospital without being seen together?"

"Trust me, just trust me." Those were the only words Derek would say as he opened Meredith's door and once again hopped in on the driver's side. Derek seemed to be on a mission, creating a plan as he went. However, Meredith got very confused when Derek backed out of her driveway and turned right, towards the outskirts of the city. To get to the hospital, you had to turn left out of the driveway, by now Meredith knew that he knew that. Meredith had to trust him; she could see in his eyes that he knew exactly where he was going and what she was doing. Soon, she felt Derek's hand wander over to her's. This time, he realized exactly where his hand was going. He continued to play with her hand and hold it tight until he finally stopped the car. They were on a woodsy trail with parking. Derek pulled in and parked next to a very old car, much like her own; it was a green jeep with mud up to the windows and a cracked windshield, to be exact. Derek removed his hand from her grip and grabbed for something from his pocket. His hand quickly returned to her, but this time it had something smooth and cold in it. There was a key. Meredith wasn't confused, but she wanted to know more, so she spoke up. "Derek, where are we, and is this your car?"

"Ok, Meredith, I like you a lot. I know we haven't been together long, but I feel like we've already been through so much together, so before we get knee-deep in this relationship, I need to tell you something. I had moved here six weeks before we met, Meredith. I drove cross-country from New York in that old beat jeep right there. It was the only car I had time to buy; I was on my way out of New York as fast as my feet could carry me. I keep it here because my house is very near here. Once I got to Seattle, I bought the Lexus. I figured cracked windshields weren't exactly good for a neurosurgeon's status." A smile broke a cross Derek's lips. She could see he was trying to joke in a very uncomfortable talk for him.

Meredith tried to cut in "Derek why did you leav—."

Derek cut her off, knowing he had to finish what he was saying before he lost all of his confidence. "Meredith," he finally got her attention back, "I was engaged back in New York, to a woman named Addison. We had been together for three years, and we were getting close to marrying, as our schedules were finally reaching a point that we could. One afternoon, I came home to hear my fiancé screaming out a name from our bedroom. However, it wasn't my name she was repeating; she was sleeping with my best friend, Mark. I never said another word, I just left with everything belonging to me and got a job from my former teacher at Grace. Now, before you say anything, just let me say that I had to tell you before we got too serious. I'm not using you to get back at her, I promise. You're not the girl I screwed to get over being screwed."

"I'm not the girl you screwed to get over being screwed? Derek, how many girls did you screw before me, then? I don't know if I can take this." Meredith was practically screaming; she had no idea why. He had told her about this before they got too serious after all, and he was being very mature about it. Derek had expected her to get a little crazy over this, and he was prepared for anything she said.

"I'm sorry," Derek stated, plain and simple. "Do you remember last night as we drifted off to sleep when I asked if you believed in soul mates? Well, I think you could be mine. I never thought I'd get over what Addison did to me, but Meredith, its karma. After that, I needed something good to happen. You're my karma, and I want to get to know you more because I think that we could really make it."

"How the hell can you think that, Derek, you've know me, what, less than a month? We've barely gotten to know each other."

"We just have to trust this. I really think I'm falling for you."

Meredith was calming down. He had that effect on her, but she had to ask one last question before even considering going on with him. "Derek, it hasn't been long since this happened. Do you still love her?"

Meredith looked over at Derek, he looked stunned, as if this was the one question he wasn't prepared to answer. He began to fight for the right words to say, but she could see how hard he was struggling.

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**Cliffhanger? Oh yea, don't forget to click that little button and Review! Pretty Please!**


	7. Part 7

**Ok, so here it is. I see some of you are getting anxious about Derek's answer, so here it is part 7. Oh, and I'd really like to thank all of you who reviewed, it really makes mevery happy :)that you guys are enjoying this as much as I enjoy reading others. There are some excellent writers on this site, and I love getting addicted to stories! So please, if you like this story, or even if you think it sucks, please READ and REVIEW! It means so much to me.**

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters!**

**Thanks**

**--anatomycd**

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Part 7

"I was with Addison for a very long time, but we met at the hospital and just had so much in common that our relationship was just comfortable. When I found her in bed with Mark, I wasn't upset; I was almost relieved to be free. I started a new life down here, and I want you to be part of that."

Meredith was upset. He had just gone way around the question. "Derek…"

Derek didn't give her a chance to finish the sentence. It wasn't that he was still in love; he just hadn't admitted that he wasn't in love with Addison in over two years. "Meredith, to answer your question, No, I'm not still in love with Addison, but my feelings for you are getting more overwhelming every minute."

"I can't handle this right now. I really need to get to work." Meredith couldn't think. Seriously. What was she supposed to be thinking right now? This was not your normal conversation with your new boyfriend. She wanted to be with Derek, no doubt, but she didn't think she could handle this right now. She was a vulnerable person, she always had been, and she had relationship-phobia like no one else.

"Meredith, would you at least go to dinner with me tonight. You can ask me anything you want then. I'll do anything not to ruin this. You're right though; we need to get to work. So, in that case, I'll take the jeep, and you take this car, and we'll be on the way."

"Oh, are you sure, you want me to take this car. Really, I don't mind driving the jeep; I've got the key right here!"

"No, no it's fine, enjoy. This car's a fun drive. Plus, I really, really owe you. This is just the beginning."

Meredith forced a fake smile on her face. So many questions were left unanswered. She knew she would go to dinner with him because she needed to have her questions answered. She forced herself to leave all those thoughts behind and put the car into drive. For now, she was going to forget all her boy problems and just enjoy the ride…

As Meredith pulled out behind Derek, she turned the radio on. She laughed; he was so funny in that jeep. Not a car she ever saw him driving. Maybe they were more alike than she first thought. The CD of the Clash was still in the player, so she turned it up loud. She didn't mind The Clash and decided to sing along. Derek pulled over into the other lane, and at the next stop light, they were next to each other. At the stop light, with her foot on the break, she let go of herself. She closed her eyes and danced to the song as she sang at the top of her lungs. Meredith was usually the glass-half-empty kind of person, but when she could be by herself (in a very expensive car, no less) she decided to take advantage and enjoy herself. All of a sudden, she looked up. The light was still red, but she felt eyes looking at her, piercing her skin. She looked over and saw Derek. He was laughing hysterically. Crap. Someone had seen her and her smooth moves. Well, at least there would be one lighthearted story to talk about at dinner; it might be the only one. The light turned green, and she sped off. She was almost to the hospital.

Meredith pulled into the hospital parking lot. Derek pulled in right behind her, but parked one space over. Smooth, very smooth. Derek walked slyly over to Meredith and his car. She handed him back the key and smiled at him, with a semi-genuine smile. Derek looked back at her, "We're ok, right, Meredith?"

She had enjoyed herself for about five minutes, but Derek had just brought her back to the glass-half-empty way of thinking. "No, Derek, we're not ok yet, but we can be. We'll work it out." It seemed weird that she had to be comforting him, but she could see how hard he was taking this and she hadn't made this easy on him. He was trying; she could give him that. She still had no idea how when she was around him, it could create problems, yet she could forget everything wrong in the world at the same time. Was she falling for him too?

"Derek," she said, "I'm working with Burke today, so I will meet you tonight. We probably shouldn't leave together again."

Derek was thankful that she was making some effort. He knew this had to be overwhelming for her, but the earlier in the relationship this could be fixed, the stronger their relationship could be. "Why don't you let me pick you up tonight from your house. Your shift is over at seven tonight, right? Well, why don't you let me pick you up at 8:00? I'll make reservations for 8:30. Oh, and dress casual, you'll want to stay comfortable where we're going." He gave her a peck on the cheek, almost instinctively, but she pulled away.

"Derek. Now, I really need to be headed to work before I'm late for rounds again and Bailey yells. Plus, I've got this little problem with my roommates to work with. Now, I will meet you after work. Thanks for the ride again."

And with that, Meredith walked ahead into Seattle Grace, ready for whatever her day held. She felt Derek's dark, deep eyes watching her the whole way into the building, and she couldn't help but smile.


	8. Part 8

**So here it is… finally… part 8! Sorry for the long wait, but thanks for the comments. Oh, and by the way, I am still working on _Crash Into Me_, however, I've been having a dry spell. Expect another update on this story, and _Crash Into Me _by the end of this week. Oh and don't forget to comment and REVIEW! I'd really appreciate hearing what you think of the story!**

**That's All for now, hope you enjoy!**

**--anatomycd**

Part 8

Meredith avoided Derek all morning at the hospital. She had been assigned a patient with Burke, but there was little hope and the older woman died during their surgery that morning. After the surgery, Burke told her to ask Bailey for another case, as he was off for the rest of the day. And so, Meredith pressed the down button on the elevator, off in search of Bailey. Meredith got on the elevator, and didn't even turn around, assuming she was alone. But, she wasn't.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Derek stood in the corner of the elevator, when it stopped and Meredith joined him. He was surprised at how she didn't even check to see who might be with her. He didn't say anything, knowing she wanted her space. They would have time to talk tonight, but for now, it was best to give Meredith some room to think. Derek was a very sensible man; nevertheless, he was a man. At some points he could be a very selfish man. And he was being selfish: he wanted Meredith right then, right there. Thank God for his sense of self-control, he had been blessed. Without it, he may have never made it through that elevator ride. He hadn't felt this way about a woman, well, never. With Addison, he had been comfortable, but with Meredith, his heart would beat fast just from looking at her. He knew he really was falling for her, and falling hard, at that.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meredith heard the bell sound and the elevator doors opened. She was oblivious to the world around her, with her mind swimming in thoughts. She wondered what case she would be assigned to next; she wondered what dinner would be like tonight with Derek; she wondered how she would deal with her friends and the reactions of her co-workers. Every one of her thoughts somehow connected to the big picture. She finally snapped out of her daze, when she saw Bailey at the nurse's station. "Dr. Bailey, Burke and I are finished with the case in room 2671, and I am looking for a new assignment."

"Well, Grey, why don't you head down to the pitt, there aren't many consults at the moment, but I'm sure they could use some help with sutures…"

Bailey was interrupted while talking to Meredith. "Say, Dr. Bailey, I just got a new patient in and I need an intern to help me with the case. It will be a time consuming case, and since Dr. Grey is readily available…" Derek was really a selfish man. He just hoped that Bailey couldn't see through his cool and professional mask. After all, he had just followed Meredith off the elevator!

"Well, Dr. Grey, you heard the man, go grab your lab coat for the consult and get on it!" Bailey seemed angry, but Meredith knew there was nothing Bailey could do about it; Derek was her boss after all. Meredith wasn't sure if she was pleased or pissed with working with Derek again. On one hand she was still not ready to speak with him, but she knew that wasn't really true. She secretly wanted to be with him as much as he seemingly wanted to be with her.

Meredith headed to the locker room to grab her coat. She took her time knowing she would be facing some very angry friends in mere seconds.

The door to the locker room opened, and Meredith found herself wearily making her way inside. She was alone, except for Izzie that was. Izzie looked at Meredith briefly and then turned back to what she was doing. Meredith went back to the door and locked it. Then she went back and sat next to Izzie. She knew she had to break the ice. "Ok, so I know you're extremely pissed at me, which you have every right to be, but I'm still running on a bit of a hangover, so please don't yell." Only silence occurred. "Ok, Izzie thanks for not yelling. But, I'm willing to explain. Either I can start from the very beginning, or you can ask me any question. Come on, any question at all."

Izzie turned around and faced Meredith, her voice got progressively louder as she continued to talk. "Ok, I have one question for you, and you must answer it fully and completely to get full credit. Ready? Ok, What the HELL?"

"Ooh, I really did see that one coming. In that case let me start from the beginning…." Meredith really did start from the beginning and told Izzie all she needed to know to get the gist of the story. Only facts, Cristina was the only one she'd ever tell the details to. Although, some parts would stay private between Derek and Meredith.

After Meredith finished some time later, Izzie just looked stunned. Oh my God, you're falling for him. Meredith you can't lie to yourself anymore. You're really bad at it, by the way. Who cares about his stupid ex-fiancé? This really isn't just screwing around, is it?"

Meredith was surprised at how well Izzie took in everything she had said. "Yea, Izzie, I guess I do really like him. Who know, maybe it will go far." They had been in the locker room for at least 20 minutes. Meredith's pager went off. 911 ROOM 2671. "Oh, crap, I have to go." Meredith was worried. She hadn't even met the patient yet, she was really behind schedule now. Meredith really didn't want to piss Derek off. She ran to the room, praying the page was really just a false alarm.

Meredith got to the room as Derek was placing the paddles on the patient's chest to revive her. It worked, and she was stable as Meredith reached her side. Derek gave orders and they immediately began to wheel her bed to the OR. "Dr. Grey, that took long enough for you to get here. I expect you were busy reading our patient's chart and getting ready. Well, she's been having grand mal seizers and we're going to open her up and see if we can figure out what's going on up there. You go ahead and scrub in; I'll see she makes it to the OR fine."

Meredith didn't have time to thank Derek for being civil to her, when it was her fault she behind on the case. She ran ahead, was scrubbed in, and ready when Derek and the patient got there. Derek came in and began to blindly cut the brain. He seemed to know exactly where to go, for not knowing where to look. Meredith was amazed with his skill. They continued with the surgery, but no good result had come yet. Meredith knew this would be a long surgery, and prepared herself for a couple of hours standing time with Derek.


	9. Part 9

**I'm so sorry for the long update wait… I have no excuses… so I'm going to apologize and finish this story. There are two more parts: Part 9 and 10. Those of you who were a fan of _Crash into Me_, I'm going to doubly apologize for the lack of updates… I'm just so darn bored with it. I plan to finish it with one more chapter, which will be up before the season premiere. Hopefully I will get many new ideas with the new season (previews look great so far!) So, I hope you've enjoyed this story, and as always… review! **

**Love, **

**Anatomycd **

Part 9

"Dr. Grey," Derek stated as he motioned with his eyes for Meredith to come look out of the extra telescope. She looked down onto the man's brain, immediately recognizing exactly what Derek saw. Derek had fixed the area of the brain causing the seizers, but Meredith knew what the outcome of the surgery would be. This woman would be in a coma when they came out of the OR. It would be a high-risk case; one where a doctor should be monitoring at all times. Any change, good or bad, in her case could be for the worst. Derek looked worried, which made Meredith even more nervous. Derek closed up the patient and Meredith watched in amazement. She was incredibly impressed with Derek's skill, but knew there was still a long road ahead. If this patient could make it through the next twelve hours, there would still be hope, but any longer, and this coma could be permanent.

Meredith and Derek cleaned up after he closed and began to wheel the patient towards her room. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and Meredith knew she would be on this case with Derek until one in the morning. She knew neither one of them would leave until possible. So much for their date; but it didn't matter now, the rest of the afternoon and evening would be very busy.

As soon as they reached the room, Derek's pager went off, he instructed Meredith to stay with the patient and that he would be back soon. She proceeded to grab a chair and sit next to the woman, thankful to sit down but very vigilant in watching the woman's progress. She finally realized how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten lunch and it was past time. She decided to page Cristina to bring her food.

A few minutes later, Cristina showed up with Chinese food. "It was all they had in the cafeteria today. Sorry."

"God, I hate Chinese food." Meredith said. It wasn't that she was that mad about the Chinese food, she was just so stressed and confused.

"Well, in that case, go to the cafeteria and get your own food. The reheated, processed hamburger meat looked _really_ good. Damn, I was just trying to be nice. This is me being nice." Cristina spat back.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just so tired and well, I just hope this woman wakes up. She deserves it and I'm so worried she won't get her chance. I mean, she has a life to come back to. She's not finished yet."

"Hmmm, unfinished business. Like someone else I know?" Cristina answered. "I heard about this morning. So, you talked to Izzie, but Bambi, have fun working this out with him. Izzie said he was so pissed."

"Oh, George. I don't know how to talk to him. I don't even know how to talk to myself. Derek and I were supposed to talk about the whole situation tonight, but now, Izzie and George may have nothing to be pissed about after all."

"Meredith, I know he's scum for starting a relationship with you so soon after being cheated on, but, I've seen the two of you together. There's no doubt you should be together. I mean it makes me sick. You two have this crazy eye-sex, like you wouldn't believe. Every time you're near each other, I want to yell 'get a room!' You have something there. Don't throw it away, not yet. And as for George, just give him a little time; I would wait at least until tonight to break the news to Bambi."

"What news?"

"That you're falling for Derek. It sickeningly obvious, but I think George has a hard time seeing that. Let him down easy."

Meredith laughed. She wasn't quite sure what Cristina was so worried about George for, or why George would be having such a painfully hard time with a relationship between Derek and her, but she went along with Cristina. "Ok, I will. Thanks for the Chinese food, but next time, bring something, anything else. I'll let you know what happens with Derek."

At just that moment, Meredith heard a knock on the closed door. Cristina jumped up to open it and saw Derek standing in the doorframe. Cristina rolled her eyes. "See Meredith, here we go again. Here's your room, enjoy!" Meredith giggled, but gave Cristina the evil eye. She hoped Derek hadn't understood a word Cristina said. With that, Cristina left, and Derek closed the door back and brought a chair up to the bed, next to Meredith.

"What?" he said softly.

"Nothing, it's just… well," Meredith came back together; she always lost her words around him. "Well, the lady, Mary Collins, I'm just worried she'll never get a chance to wake up and finish her life. I just want her so badly to come back with us and enjoy every day."

"I know." Derek stated. He leaned over to Meredith at that moment and tucked her hair behind her ear. He took her chin in his hand, turned her face towards his, and brought their lips together. Meredith's mind was clear. She couldn't think about her anger with him, but when they let go, she realized why she had still been angry with him.

"Derek, maybe we should wait. I still want to talk before we jump back into things."

"Ok, I understand. We'll wait." Derek stood up to leave. "I have other patients to check on, but I will be back later. I think Bailey has the other interns checking on your patients so that you're free to stay here. Page me with any change." With that, Derek left the room leaving Meredith, Mary, and her Chinese food all alone.


	10. Part 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or Ben & Jerry's ice cream… but I'm about to go eat some!**

Part 10

It was dark outside. Meredith checked her cell phone, it was 12:30 AM and Mary was not awake. Derek had been in earlier to check on them, but had left soon after. She must have fallen asleep for a while. Suddenly, Meredith heard someone speak; she had thought she was alone in the room. "She still hasn't woken up. She has thirty minutes." Him. She sighed. "Derek, how long have you been sitting there, and how long have I been asleep?"

"Well, the answers are 30 minutes and 1 hour. You're so peaceful when you sleep." Derek smiled. "It's been a long day, but I don't think she's going to wake back up."

"She might still make it, Derek. She has thirty minutes, and anything could happen."

Just then, they heard a small cough. Meredith looked over at Mary, whose eyes jolted open, as if they were full of new energy and life.

"Well hello there." Derek said. He proceeded to tell the patient exactly what had happened…

Some time later, both Meredith and Derek walked out of the room, completely satisfied and happy that Mary had woken and was doing well, with her family on the way to see her. "Listen, Meredith, I'm going to talk to the family, and then, if you're still interested, I'd still like to take you out to dinner. Since it's so late, I was thinking you could change and then I could pick you up at your house around… say 1:30?"

"Are you crazy, Derek? For one, it's almost one o'clock in the morning, there's no restaurant open. And second, I probably should think about sleeping sometime soon. I sure didn't get much last night, and I doubt I'll get any tonight either!"

"Come on, Meredith, let's go. Be spontaneous. I'm all for the spontaneity!" Derek smiled, but Meredith just laughed. He was making no sense; obviously, he needed to catch up on his sleep too.

"You know what Derek, today my glass is going to be half-full. Let's go for it. But seriously, there's no place open to eat this late."

"Don't worry about that, I have a plan. Just be ready to leave from your house in an hour. That way you can drive home and get ready, but don't forget, dress comfortably, we're still going to the same place I had planned for earlier."

Meredith changed and got ready to leave the hospital. Nobody was still on shift. George, Izzie, Cristina, and Alex had all left earlier, and even Bailey had gotten off around 10 PM. Meredith found her car and drove home, with the radio turned up to keep her awake. Once she got home, she stayed quiet as she went up the stairs. George and Izzie were sound asleep; she could hear snoring from both rooms. Once she got up to her room, she forgot every ounce of reason she could have been tired. She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt, while packing a bag with an extra set of clothes. She was off from work tomorrow and had no idea where tonight might take them. Soon she saw headlights from the window in her room and knew Derek was there. She grabbed her bag and purse and headed quietly out the door to meet Derek, leaving a note saying she would be home in the morning, so George and Izzie wouldn't worry too much, if they cared.

She headed down the driveway, where Derek was parked on the street. He had cleaned up as well, his hair, recently showered, was still wet and he was wearing an oxford shirt with jeans. Meredith smiled and he opened her door, motioning for her to get into the car. As they had done yesterday morning, Derek headed out of the city toward the forestry area they had gone to before. However, this time, they ended up following a long driveway, which at the end had a small, tin Airstream trailer. Meredith wondered where in hell they were; there was no possible way this could be Derek's residence. He was a neurosurgeon who made over two million dollars a year, he must live in a mansion, right?

However, the car finally stopped in front of this trailer. Derek had a smirk on his face, and finally explained a little of his secret dinner plans.

"When I moved here from New York, I vowed to start over… no more fancy materialistic things- I don't need them. So tonight, if its ok with you, I'd like to keep things simple and cook you an amazing meal at my simple, yet very nice… trailer. I make very good trout."

"Well, Derek Shepherd, that sounds like the most romantic date I've ever heard of. And for the record, I love trout."

-

With that, Derek was satisfied. To find a woman who wanted him, not his money or anything else he had… that was an once-in-a-lifetime find. He finally saw it. He had a future here that he had never had with a woman before, and there would be no screwing this up again… this relationship was here to stay.

-

Meredith looked over at Derek and smiled. He was the most perfect man she had ever been with, despite all of his flaws. She leaned over and kissed him. She couldn't help it; it was hard to keep self-control around him. As they sat there kissing, enjoying each others company, Meredith felt completely comfortable.

It seemed as if they had forgotten the trout altogether. Derek went for Meredith's shirt and pulled it over her head and Meredith began to unhook Derek's pants. The two somehow made their way over to Derek's small bed, and Derek, completely unclothed by this time, landed on top of Meredith and gave a soft groan. He knew how to work her and was not disappointing her this time. She began to search his body, making her way down and saving the very best for last. "Are you still hungry?" Derek asked.

"How can you be thinking of food at a time like this? Just shut up and come closer."

Derek grinned and jumped back in to please Meredith to the best of his ability….

Meredith woke early the next morning, to the grumbling of her own stomach. The sun was barely rising, but Derek was nowhere to be found. Meredith saw Derek's shirt from the night before at the end of the bed and put it on, in search of the shirt's true owner. She stepped out onto the porch and saw Derek with a mug of coffee and another sitting at the table in between the two chairs. Meredith sat down and grabbed the mug, assuming it was for her.

"Good Morning," Derek said, "I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm just getting used to an early schedule. Last night was so great, but I'd better get home early today Derek, to patch things up with my friends, because I know we're not quite ok yet."

"I wish I could convince you otherwise, but I really understand. I'll take you home and maybe we could go out for an earlier and actually real dinner tonight. I'll call you, ok."

"Thanks, Derek." With that, Meredith got dressed and Derek dropped her off back at home. When she walked in, she finally realized how exhausted she still was. She looked in the freezer, grabbed a half-eaten pint of Ben & Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and sat down at the kitchen table. Soon, she heard footsteps and looked up. It was George.

"George." Meredith said under her breath.

"Meredith, I, ummm… I was just leaving." George said, obviously wanting nothing to do with Meredith.

"George, wait." She pleaded, "Just give my five minutes to explain."

George reluctantly grabbed a spoon and sat down with Meredith, digging into her ice cream uninvited. Meredith didn't mind though, she was just lucky he was talking to her, although she didn't understand why this was so much harder for him than Izzie or Cristina. Meredith proceeded to tell George the whole story with Derek, and George listened intently, but he didn't say a word. At the end, Meredith asked George if he was all right.

"Yea, Meredith, this is weird and all, but I'm happy for you. Just don't let him hurt you. You deserve the best person ever because you are one of the most wonderful people I know."

"Thank you, George. But, I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone yet. With him, I feel like the best and most wonderful person. He does that to you, you know."

"Actually, I've never gotten that feeling around him, but I got really happy when he told me I did a good job on the last surgery I worked with him on." George smirked. He could be such a smart ass, but he was a caring friend, and Meredith was thankful for people like him.

"This thing between us, it's not a fling. I think I'm falling in love and I can't breathe. I can't breathe whenever I think about him. And I'm pretty sure that's the way its support to be."

With that, George picked up his spoon and dived into the ice cream. George and Meredith sat together and Meredith was finally happy, knowing that now she had it all, and life couldn't get much better.

**(A/N: I just reread this for the first time in like four months, and I realized that the "I can't breathe" part was exactly like in the finale, crazy since I wrote this before the finale…seriously! Shonda is picking my brain! I'm kidding, but I really hope you enjoyed this story… I love all of my loyal reviewers!)**

**See you soon!**


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